There was no way the Baltimore Ravens were going to let Joe Flacco, fresh off winning Super Bowl XLVII, walk this offseason. Now they don't even have to play the game of franchise tag to lock up their franchise quarterback.

Fox Sports' Jay Glazer reported Friday evening that the team and Flacco had agreed on a contract that will prevent him from becoming a free agent. ESPN's Adam Schefter had details of the record payday: six years, $120.6 million.

It's in the Ravens' recent history to please their stars without shaking up the core of their roster. Four offseasons ago, they rewarded outside linebacker Terrell Suggs with $62.5 million over six years, and in 2011, he delivered as the NFL's defensive player of the year. In '11, it was the linchpin of their defensive line, Haloti Ngata, getting a five-year, $61 million deal. In '12, it was their other indispensable offensive star, running back Ray Rice, getting $35 million over five years.

The Ravens' front office and ownership is brilliant in crunching the cap numbers to make things work. The working model for all those deals was a good chunk of guaranteed money up front.

Sure, there have been people they would have liked to keep that they couldn't quite afford over the past few years. It will happen again this year, with four key defensive players all unsigned—Dannell Ellerbe, Paul Kruger, Cary Williams and Ed Reed.

But as much as the Ravens are confident in maximizing the financials, they are more confident they can fill around the core players with smart draft picks and keen under-the-radar pickups.

Ravens coach John Harbaugh and Flacco have formed the common bond that have put the Ravens in the postseason for five consecutive seasons, culminating with the ultimate team prize. General manager Ozzie Newsome deserves more credit for helping them building to that point.

Knowing they have made Flacco happy sets up them for a half-dozen more years of success at or near the level they just reached.